Man Accused of Shooting Paramus Police Officer Pleads Not Guilty

A man who is accused of shooting and wounding an undercover Paramus police officer in a Garfield shopping center parking lot has pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery charges filed against him, NorthJersey.com reported.

Rafael Vasquez, 25, of Passaic, was charged with first-degree attempted murder and first-degree attempted robbery in connection with the shooting last week, the report said. He entered a not guilty plea Monday in Bergen County Superior Court, it said.

According to the report, the Paramus officer was working on an undercover narcotics assignment during the shooting. Vasquez is accused of attempting to rob the officer, and then shooting him during a staged $400 marijuana transaction, it said.

Vasquez’s two alleged accomplices appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges filed against them last week, reports said. Vasquez, who was shot by police during the incident last week, was in the hospital and did not appear in court with them, the report said. He appeared in court Monday in a wheelchair with his arm bandaged and in a cast, the report said.

Vasquez is being held on $2 million bail, the report said.

The unidentified police officer has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, the report said.